Grotesque Death Worries Nanson Residents

Polk: Nanson Coroner Bert Williams is having a devil of a time solving this year's most mysterious death. Late last month, the body of one Arlene Connor, 89, was discovered in an alley in the downtown area of this ordinarily sleepy town (see: Actions of State Troopers Under Investigation, February, 1997, vol. 4, Issue#2).

     The elderly woman's body was spotted at 10:45 PM by the Smithson family on their way home from a nearby restaurant. Connor's body was lying on its back next to two overturned garbage cans. Her chest, neck and most of her arms were covered in a thick but brittle black substance. This same substance filled her mouth, nose and all other orifices.

     Police arriving on the scene admitted that it looked like a struggle had occurred, but have yet to release any further details.

     Williams made a thorough examination of the body which only deepened the mystery. He says that Connor had suffered six lacerations of a similar sort on her chest and right arm. These wounds also contained the strange black substance. In addition, the chest cavity revealed that the heart, lungs and stomach had all been transformed into a black liquid version of the black chitinous substance that covered much of the corpse. Williams is confident that this transmogrification of organs was responsible for the death of Connor.

     As to what the alien black substance is, Williams can only shake his head. He has sent samples of both the dried and liquid substances to the chemical research labs at the University of Emmetsburg. "It's brittle on the outside," he says, "and actually very shiny. Maybe this is some sort of petroleum product. Lord knows the human body isn't capable of producing anything like this substance."

     Connor, who has no survivors, will be buried by the Town of Nanson.